Greece - Nikopolis

Nikopolis (or Nicopolis) was founded by the Roman Emperor Octavian (Augustus) in the year of 31 BC, to commemorate his victory against Antony and Cleopatra of Egypt at the naval battle of Actium at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. The city - most probably the largest in ancient Greece - was built between the gulf and the Ionian Sea. The city was named Nikopolis, which means ‘city of victory’. The city was also founded for military and trade needs.

Nikopolis flourished in the two centuries which followed its foundation and it had several large public buildings (baths, stadium, theatre, odeon), while a 50 kilometers long aqueduct ( www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/47923442 ) provided it with fresh water from the mountains near Ioannina.

In the second half of the 3rd century Greece became exposed to raids of barbarian tribes. The situation worsened in the 4th century, when Germanic tribes moved southwards and settled inside the northern border of the Roman Empire. These events coupled with earthquakes and pestilences led to a general decrease of the population which affected also Nikopolis. By the end of the 5th century its inhabitants realized they were too few to defend the whole city and they decided to fortify with new walls a section of the town.

The decline of Byzantine Nikopolis was due to a series of raids by the Arabs in the 9th century and by the Bulgarians in the two following centuries. Eventually at the end of the 11th century the last inhabitants abandoned Nikopolis and founded Preveza. In 1798 French Revolutionary troops, stationed in Preveza by Napoleon, dug into the graves and ruins of ancient Nikopolis and looted various treasures. These were later taken by the troops of Ali Pasha, who defeated the French and their Greek allies.

We visited the archaeological site - the first excavations were carried out in the period 1913-1926 - with its ruins, but to be honest we were not very impressed, as quite a lot were rather dilapidated. Although the old city wall was very astonishing.